November 10, 2011

Reaction to the Firing of Paterno

A look at how columnists from Pennsylvania and around the country view the firing of Joe Paterno:

Jeff McLane, Philadelphia Inquirer: The St. Joe myth, while steeped in fact, was propagated for years by writers who fell under Paterno's spell. Yes, this was a public man who was often above the fray and stood by his morals. But that did not necessarily mean he was a great guy.

Bill Lyon, Philadelphia Inquirer: There came the shattering day no one had seen coming, the day the icon toppled, brought down by a failed and egregious attempt to preserve the image of his Camelot. That image turned out to be fraudulent. And in his zeal to keep up appearances, Paterno appears to have become a de facto enabler for an alleged sex predator.

Cory Giger, Altoona Mirror: Success with Honor no longer applies to Penn State University. Maybe someday the prestigious institution with a great football tradition will be able to use that motto or reclaim its place among the most-respected universities in the nation. But it will be a long time before that happens.

Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports: Paterno, one-time white knight of college athletics, was fired by phone. And despite the sporting tragedy of that, it pales in comparison to the human tragedies that were the catalyst for this stunning fall.

Ray Ratto, CBS Sports.com: There's a lesson in Paterno's downfall, but few will heed it.